Czech universities opened for students, but usual lectures not yet
As Radio Prague notes, a group of no more than five people may be in one room at the same time. Strict hygiene rules are to be observed.
All schools and higher education institutions in the country were closed on March 11 of this year. The planned gradual easing of anti-coronavirus measures, however, is contingent on the further satisfactory development of the epidemiological situation in the country.
"The introduced regime is not a return to the state of March 10, i.e., collective learning is not yet provided for. Individual consultations with teachers, work in laboratories and practical classes are allowed," Education Minister Robert Plaga said in an interview with Czech Radio.
"At the same time, we managed to pass a law regulating the work of higher education institutions during the state of emergency," the minister notes. "The norm largely gives university rectors a free hand, who can now independently make decisions regarding graduation and entrance exams. The remote form of examination has also been legalized, so I am confident that universities and colleges will now be able to take all necessary steps to ensure state exams."
Minister Plaga further confirmed that in early June, entrance and graduation exams will also take place in secondary schools, but high school students will continue to study remotely. Primary school students will be able to return to their desks from May 25.
"During discussions with epidemiologists, we asked for an exception also for ninth-graders who have to take exams, but we have not yet succeeded in achieving this. All action plans are based on the real development of events, i.e., they may still change. As of now: starting May 25, primary school students may — but are not required to — start attending school."
Nevertheless, the number of children in a class will be limited. A maximum of 15 students can be in one room at the same time. The composition of the group will not change, and distance learning remains the main method of instruction.
As Robert Plaga reported, the Ministry of Education will receive detailed instructions by April 30, which both students and teachers will be required to follow. For a long time, for example, there was a debate about whether children would wear protective masks at school.
According to Plaga, if students sit one per desk during the lesson, maintaining a distance of 2 meters from each other, and in a group of 15 students this is feasible, then they will wear masks only during breaks, in corridors, and in other "contact" situations.